The Modernizing Agriculture Activity (ModAg) | 72069622RFA00003

Opportunity Information: Apply for 72069622RFA00003

The Modernizing Agriculture Activity (ModAg) is a USAID/Rwanda funding opportunity designed to help Rwanda's agricultural sector deliver stronger, more inclusive economic growth while also improving food security and nutrition. USAID plans to fund one implementer through a cooperative agreement, selecting the applicant that best matches the goals laid out in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) based on a merit review and a risk assessment. The central idea is to move beyond basic production support and instead modernize how agriculture connects to markets, finance, technology, and the broader policy environment so that farming can generate higher incomes and better nutritional outcomes over time.

At its core, ModAg aims to increase household incomes and improve nutrition by sustainably raising agricultural productivity and by strengthening domestic consumption and markets for higher-value and more nutritious agricultural products. In practical terms, this signals a focus on improving both the supply side (how efficiently and reliably food is produced) and the demand and market side (how products move, who buys them, and whether consumers can access and afford nutritious options). The emphasis on sustainability suggests USAID is looking for approaches that keep working after the project ends, such as commercially viable models, durable private-sector relationships, and stronger local systems rather than temporary inputs.

USAID frames the opportunity around a specific, overarching challenge: Rwanda's agricultural sector is not reaching its full potential to drive inclusive growth, food security, and nutrition. The constraints highlighted are interconnected. First, farmers and agribusinesses often lack strong linkages to profitable markets, which can leave producers stuck selling into low-margin channels or facing high post-harvest losses and weak bargaining power. Second, there is insufficient financing across the sector, which limits investment in quality inputs, equipment, storage, aggregation, processing, and other improvements that can raise productivity and profitability. Third, the sector struggles with inadequate uptake of production-enhancing technologies, meaning improved seed systems, climate-smart practices, irrigation solutions, mechanization, post-harvest handling, and digital tools may not be reaching farmers at scale or in ways that fit their needs and risk profiles. Fourth, farmer support services are described as inefficient, pointing to gaps in extension, advisory services, training, and coordination that can prevent farmers from adopting better practices or meeting quality standards required by higher-value markets. Finally, USAID notes a constrained enabling environment that discourages private-sector investment and engagement, which can include policy, regulatory, or institutional barriers that raise the cost and risk of doing business in agriculture.

The structure of the award is important. Because this is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, it typically implies substantial involvement by USAID during implementation, such as collaboration on planning, monitoring, adaptive management, and coordination with other stakeholders. The opportunity is listed as discretionary and categorized under agriculture, with CFDA (now often referred to as Assistance Listing) 98.001. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of organizations may apply as long as they meet any specific eligibility conditions stated in the NOFO itself. USAID explicitly instructs prospective applicants to read the NOFO closely to understand the type of activity sought, the application requirements, and the selection process, underscoring that compliance and responsiveness to the NOFO will matter.

From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity was issued by USAID in Kigali under the Agency for International Development, Rwanda (USAID-Kigali). The funding opportunity number is 72069622RFA00003. The notice was created on July 11, 2022, with an original closing date of August 17, 2022. The award ceiling is $28,000,000, and USAID expects to make a single award, which indicates a fairly large, consolidated activity likely intended to operate at meaningful scale and coordinate multiple interventions under one implementing mechanism.

Overall, ModAg is positioned as a systems-oriented agricultural modernization effort in Rwanda. The opportunity is not just about increasing yields; it is about building stronger market connections, expanding access to finance, accelerating adoption of productivity-enhancing technologies, improving the effectiveness of farmer support services, and addressing enabling-environment constraints so that private-sector actors are more willing and able to invest. The intended end result is a measurable improvement in incomes and nutrition, driven by a more productive and market-linked agricultural sector that supports domestic consumption and stronger value chains for nutritious, high-value products.

• The Agency for International Development, Rwanda USAID-Kigali in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "The Modernizing Agriculture Activity (ModAg)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 11, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 17, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $28,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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